How Long Could the Human Body Survive on Each Planet in the Solar System?

Earth, the only land we call home, offers remarkable longevity under normal circumstances. On this planet, a healthy human can enjoy a life span of a bit more than one hundred years. This is vastly different from the survival time on other planets in the solar system, which is as brief as mere seconds.

The Lone Sanctuary: Earth

On Earth, the only planet where a human can exist for over 70 years under average living conditions, life is a blessing. However, the moment you leave this planet’s protective embrace, the threats become mortal. In just a minute or less, you could find yourself in a deadly scenario on any other planet.

Mercury: The Harsh Light of the Sun

Mercury offers no atmosphere, leaving individuals exposed to the vacuum of space. Depending on which side you’re on, you’ll be either boiled and vaporized by the intense heat and high radiation, or frozen at an agonizingly slow rate. The extreme conditions will ablate you from the outside or cryogenically freeze your insides while your blood boils internally.

Venus: Searing Heat and Toxic Atmosphere

Venus at 90 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure and a surface temperature above the melting point of lead, swiftly crushes and melts your body. The sulfuric acid vapor in the thick, toxic atmosphere corrodes your skin and other tissues. You have a few seconds to endure the ultimate torment before succumbing.

Mars: Peril in a Thin Atmosphere

Mars, with its thin atmosphere mostly composed of carbon dioxide, presents a dual threat. The thin air does not suffocate instantly, but the lack of a thick atmosphere makes it akin to a vacuum. High summer temperatures prevent instant freezing, yet the environment is still inhospitable. Mars' atmosphere is thin, creating a vacuum, and any form of boiling will not be noticed.

Jupiter: A Titanic Grimace

The core of Jupiter's colossal atmosphere presses with immense force, creating a lightless, hellish region of liquid metallic hydrogen. While the pressure and environment would be captivating to an observer, the crushing force against your body causes immediate death. This scenario is a nightmare from start to finish.

Saturn: Hellish Commercials

Saturn’s smaller size means a lighter gravitational pull, potentially exposing its exotic hot water ices under the surface. The crushing pressure from the planet’s atmosphere makes it a relentless tormentor. Leaving reviews on Yelp about such conditions would be a fitting act, considering the environment.

Uranus: A Fortress of Ice and Goo

Uranus, with its strange and complex core, has a mantle of liquid covering it. The high pressure and temperature permit exotic chemical reactions not seen elsewhere. However, the fusion of high temperature and pressure causes your body to form an icy slurry, turning vital organs into Ice VII and slurry.

Neptune: Briny Death

Neptune's surface is an ocean of extremely hot water and exotic ices. The immense pressure raises your boiling point far beyond the temperature at which cells break down and DNA dissociates. Despite the heat being a minor threat, immense pressure causes instant death by squeezing you into a gooey substance.

Throughout the solar system, every planet presents unique and often fatal challenges to human survival. Earth remains the sanctuary where life thrives and longevity is a given, highlighting the challenges faced by humans in the vast and unforgiving expanse of outer space.